ISAACS, James Lee 1950-1955

ISAACS

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 4/13/2010 at 21:33:03

NOTE: Four children died immediately and one died four days later.

#1 of 4 items:

Four Children Die
in Truck, Car Crash

OSAGE, IOWA - The collision of a car and a gravel truck at a gravel road intersection near here brought death to four children and critically injured a fifth.

Fatally injured were Jerry Isaacs 9, and his sisters, Charlene and Sharon, 7 year old twins, of near Grafton, and a cousin, Jimmy Isaacs, 5, of Osage.

In critical condition at a Rochester, Minnesota hospital was Donna Jean Isaacs, 11, a sister of Jerry, Charlene and Sharon. She has a brain concussion and multiple fractures of the skull, shoulder and ankle. She was brought first to the hospital here before being transferred to Rochester.

The children were passengers in a car driven by Mrs. Garland Isaacs, 35, mother of all of the youngsters except Jimmy. The accident occurred at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday about 11 miles west of Osage and about a mile north of the Garland Isaacs farm on the Mitchell Worth County line. State Highway Patrolman Virgil Johnson said a truck driven by Waldmar Hanson, 42, Riceville, collided with the car and both vehicles went into a ditch. Deputy Sheriff Francis Hoffron said visibility at the rural intersection was partly blocked by tall corn.

Mrs. Isaacs was reported in fair condition Thursday, with a brain concussion and extensive contusions and lacerations

Hanson, who is a driver for the Grupp Gravel Co. of Riceville, has spinal injuries and multiple abrasions and contusions.

Three of the children died in or soon after the crash. Charlene died in the hospital here Thursday morning.

Jimmy Isaacs was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Burchard Isaacs of Osage. Jimmy was born September 24, 1950, near Osage.

Surviving besides his parents are a brother, Richard, grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Martin GrandPre, 231 Ricker St., Waterloo; great-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Burch, Elma.

The Isaacs twins were born near Riceville July 3, 1948, Jerry was born June 25, 1946, near Riceville.

Surviving are the parents, sister, Donna Jean; grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Quinn, Riceville; grandfather, Elmer Isaacs, Osage.

[Waterloo Daily Courier, Wednesday, October 13, 1955]

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#2:

CRASH NEAR
OSAGE KILLS
FOUR CHILDREN

Another Critically
Injured as Car,
Truck Collide

OSAGE, IOWA - Four children died and a fifth was critically injured when the car in which they were riding and a gravel truck collided at the intersection of county roads Wednesay afternoon.

Dead are:
Sharron Isaacs, 7, who was killed instantly.

Charlene Isaacs, 7, Sharron's twin, who died at Mitchell County Memorial Hospital at 6 a.m. today.

Gerald Isaacs, 9, who was killed instantly.

James Isaacs, 5, who was killed instantly.

Injured are:

Donna Jean Isaacs, 11, who is in critical condition at St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, Minnesota. She suffered head and internal injuries and lacerations.

Mrs. Marcella Isaacs, 38, Grafton, Iowa, driver of the car and mother of four of the children. She suffered lacerations and internal injuries. Her condition is critical at the Osage Hospital.

Waldemar Hanson, 43, Riceville, Iowa, driver of the truck. He suffered neck and back injuries and is in satisfactory condition at Osage.

Sharron, Charlene, Donna, and Gerald are children of Garland and Marcella Isaacs. James is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Birchard Isaacs. Birchard and Garland are brothers.

Francis Heffron, Mitchell County deputy sheriff, said the car and truck collided 11 miles west and two miles north of Osage, on the Mitchell-Worth county line.

Corn Obstructed View

Mrs. Isaacs was southboound and the truck, owned by Grupp Construction Co., Mason City, Iowa, was travelling east on the county roads. There were no stop signs and the intersection was surrounded by corn fields.

Heffron said James Isaacs had been visiting at the Garland Isaacs home and apparently Mrs. Isaacs was taking James to his home eight miles southwest of Osage. The Garland Isaacs live about two miles from the accident site.

The impact caused both the car and truck to overturn and both landed in the ditch in the south east corner of the intersection.

Children Pinned by Car

Mrs. Isaacs was thrown from the car, but the children were pinned in and beneath the car. Hanson was thrown from the truck.

Apparently the truck collided with the right side of the car, Heffron said, but he has not completed his investigation.

Heffron said Mitchell County authorities will meet today to determine if an inquest into the deaths will be held.

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#3:

The Osage City Cemetery listing on IaGenWeb shows:

ISAACS, JAMES LEE (Loc) 1103 5 (death/burial) 12 OCT 1955

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#4:

Below is a combination of the (Osage) Sacred Heart Cemetery data and the Findagrave.com data.

Isaacs, Charlene 1948 -- 12 Oct 1955, 7 yr old

Isaacs, Donna 1944 -- 16 Oct 1955, 11 yrs old

Isaacs, Jerry 1946 -- 12 Oct 1955, 9 yrs old

Isaacs, Sharon 1948 -- 12 Oct 1955, 7 yr old